Every Time South Park Referenced Stephen King
Over the show’s 25 seasons, South Park has referenced the works ofStephen King numerous times, showing an enduring affection for the horror icon’s work. Since its inception, South Park has never been afraid to parody various topics. No subject is safe from ridicule in the ribald adult animated comedy, as proven by South Park season 25’s spoofs of everything from gentrification to St. Patricks' Day.
In particular, movie parodies have always been a reliable source for South Park’s anarchic comedy. Over the years, South Park has spoofed all manner of famous movies, although the works of horror author Stephen King seem to be of particular interest to the show’s writers. South Park has parodied King’s writing at least half a dozen times, with the show’s spoofs ranging from throwaway references to entire episodes spent comedically recreating the author’s stories.
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South Park’s earliest Stephen King parody dates back to the show’s first season, which poked fun at Stephen King's Pet Sematary. Since then, South Park has spoofed Children of the Corn, The Stand, It, and The Shining, as well as bringing back their Pet Sematary spoof on more than one occasion. South Park’s preoccupation with parodying King is likely rooted in the fact that the author’s works are dark horror stories that lend themselves to animated spoofs. It is easy for South Park to re-contextualize serious elements of King’s stories for comedy, whether this means turning the horrifying killer clown Pennywise into an attention-seeking parody of Donald Trump or repurposing The Stand’s saccharine Mother Abigail into the famous face of a sugary confection brand.
“Splatty Tomato” (season 21,
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